Wawona’s Yesterdays (1961) by Shirley Sargent

CHILNUALNA FALLS

Yosemite visitors admire Yosemite
Falls, Bridalveil, Ribbon, Vernal and
Nevada Falls. Even if they do not hike
up to see the latter two, they can view
them from Glacier Point or on a “living
color” postcard.

Lovely, little-known Chilnualna Falls
(pronounced Chilnoo-al-na) cannot be
seen from an automobile nor is it pictured
on a card, but those willing and
able to take the 4.1 mile trail will be
awed by the boisterous foaming series
of cascades and cataracts that form
the falls during the spring of the year.

Chilnualna Falls by Thomas Hill

The upper trail, built by John Conway
for Washburns in 1895,
69
starts from
the Chilnualna Park road, 1.6 miles
east of the main road (see map.)

Another short foot trail to the base
of the lower falls takes off from the
parking place 1.9 miles east of Wawona
Road. This was built in 1870 by
Albert Bruce, John Washburn and two
Chinese on land that is still private
today
60
The view, while well-worth
seeing, is ordinary compared to the
spectacular one afforded from the
longer, steeper trail to the upper falls.

According to one source Chilnualna
means “leaping waters” and was so-named
by the Piute Indians.
69
Another
Wawona native insists that on Indian
told him that Chilnualna means “many
rocks” because the falls are in a very
rocky canyon.
66[Editor’s note:
the origin of the word Chilnualna
is unknown.—dea]

Thomas Hill did a pen and ink drawing
of the falls in 1886 to illustrate
James Hutchings’ book
In the Heart of the Sierras,
and later painted them.

John Washburn had a preemption
claim on the lower falls prior to 1885.
There he had tables, benches and a
picnic ground, built a foot bridge out
onto a large rock, and made the area
a regular stage stop for visitors. Thousands
knew the lower fall and other
thousands received postcards of it,
then sold at the Wawona Hotel.

After Albert Bruce homesteaded the
area which included the lower Falls in
1885, they were no longer a stopping
place. People have so desecrated ferns
and woodwardia there that the Bruces
have posted no tresspassing signs and
wrathily stop unwelcome, would-be
visitors.
69

The longer, upper fall trail is on
Park property and the falls and cascades
splash unconcernedly down, appreciated
only by the exploring hiker
or photographer, but remembered by
all who have observed their singular,
neglected beauties.